The Past Couple of Weeks Have Been Splendidly Art Filled...
It Starts With a Show.
I just realized how wonderfully filled with art the past couple weeks have been. So many art adventures! Since we’ve all (at least partially) reemerged from our pandemic cocoons, I too have begun going to more art shows since they’ve re-begun in earnest. There are very few things I find better than a good art show. I remember in college, my most favorite part of the on campus shows was the artichoke dip…I mean talking to the artists :) Also, any opportunity to wear a sequin y’all.
A couple Fridays ago I had the opportunity to go to the opening of the Deborah Roberts opening at the Cummer Museum. I went on many a field trip to the Cummer so it holds a special place in my heart. Deborah Roberts work is such a breath of fresh air for me as her collage work is very different from my own. It is also on a very large scale versus my ‘intimately sized’ pieces. I met and caught up with awesome folks which is definitely one of my favorite parts of any show: the people.
Meeting + Greeting.
The next great part of my week came when I had the opportunity to meet the rest of my Community Foundation grant cohort. I love going to Community Foundation meetups. Those folks always make sure the refreshment and company are good! We are all so radically different in our practices and how our art manifests. Meeting with and talking with other artists always gets me more excited about how I uniquely view the world as a practicing creative and how I can support others in their work.
Auditions.
So I had about six auditions over the past couple weeks. I’m sure others might have higher numbers and I’m still proud; it is a personal best for me :) They give any actor/actress the change to be imaginative and inventive and silly, tape yourself while doing it and submit yourself for consideration to do the aforementioned things and get paid. Genius. Auditions in the mainstream world are simply like an interview. Just an opportunity to see if you will be a fit for their project, just as someone might see if you’d be a fit for their company. For the record, I don’t think I’ve ever had six interviews for a regular corporate job before. Like I said personal best. I got to be a lawyer y’all…and a couple other things.
Gotta Love a Lecture.
One of the grantees from my cohort happened to be giving a lecture on her current body of work. Christie Holochek and I worked together when I was a member of Art in Public Places. Christie was one of the people who asked me to apply for one of the open spot on the committee. She and Tony Allegretti (the Executive Director at the time) felt like I’d be a good fit. I had no particular designs on public art. I definitely would’ve considered myself a community advocate at the time. Little did I know I was soon to become an art advocate as well…but I digress. Christie’s lecture was excellent. To gain a deeper insight into a body of work in the artist’s own words, it opens up a new world. Christie also engages in layered work and assemblage. I thought Christie was primarily a painter. It’s such a wonderful thing to discover new things about people you’ve known for a while.
Last But Not Least.
La piece de resistance is a Friday and Saturday duo of days spent with Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat Pray Love (and the ridiculously long list of other books she’s written) fame. Friday evening was an interview/chat format and Saturday was a writer’s workshop. I was so looking forward to it and didn’t even know why. I guess because since I was initially asked to write a screen play about my family’s experience with my brother being incarcerated, I’ve inhaled everything I could concerning writing and have been trying to absorb all I can. I went to hear Elizabeth Gilbert speak simply wanting to hear her share of her experiences, not as an established super fan of some kind. I’d only just begun to read one of her more recent books, Big Magic which I did indeed love after 5 pages.
First I’d like to say this woman is so funny. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to a conversation with her and another writer. It was like we, the audience, were simply listening to two friends chat. Then the writer’s lab was like some ‘finding yourself’ seminar. It was based more in the world of mindset and facing fears that come alongside expressing one’s creativity as a writer or any expression of creativity honestly. I didn’t necessarily enter a super fan but I definitely left one, not necessarily of her talent (and yes of course that is amazing too) but just a super fan of her as a fellow human and an even bigger fan of how she engages people. She is a wonderfully made effervescent spiritual geyser of a spirit. The pictures are of her striking a series of poses so that we could all satisfy our insatiable cultural need to take pictures and post them. Then we could put our phones away without feeling as if we missed a thing. Meeting her was the perfect culmination of an artfully made two weeks…of course not my last dynamic art fest but definitely the best string of art happenings I’ve had the privilege to participate in in a long time.
Sketchbook Sketchings
“Sketching is the breath of art: it is the most refreshing of all the more impulsive forms of creative self-expression and, as such, it should be as free, and happy…”
“Sometimes the very best of all summer books is a blank notebook. Get one big enough, and you can practice sketching the lemon slice in your drink or the hot lifeguard on the beach or the vista down the hill from your cabin.”
The Sketch Book Isn’t Always Full.
I can’t remember the last time I was really with out some type of sketch book. Even when I was 8 or so I had a steno pad I drew in. I didn’t keep anything, I just gave the drawings away. I also would put them in envelopes and decorate them; give them as gifts. I had (still have) a thing for receiving mail. Receiving mail is like a surprise gift, hopefully… (“What’s in the Box!?!?!” Forgive my movie reference. I couldn’t resist.)
Dont think I don’t ever use my phone for notes and such, I do. I have 600 pictures and 100 types of notes and lists. I am just the type of artist that also needs to touch things: a pen, the paper, smear things with my fingers, rip some paper… It can’t be replaced.
Books, Books Everywhere.
I keep books kind of everywhere these days. In my purse I always have a book. In my car I have a book for notes and thoughts since I listen to audiobooks and music all of the time. They are all a combination of thought/idea books or word sketches (since I can totally make up my own things here) with sketches for work or design layouts. I have a book specifically for my community work. That was a gift. I keep ideas, meeting notes and such in it. I make my own books too but also buy books. I just bought 2.
Playing Favorites.
My favorite of all is to sketch on tracing paper. I overlay and combine previous sketches plus I love the way the paper sounds…all crinkly. Makes me feel like I’m doing something. It’s also nice to use in collages. It allows you to layer with transparency. I usually make it more transparent by adding an oil.
I just did these collage sketches last night, adding to a sketch book from college actually. I realized recently as I was going through it mining for ideas (best reason to keep a book) that I still had space in it. I do this type of sketching when I’m going through an artistic transition of some kind and need to work through it.
The first is a tiny canvas about 2 inches x 2 inches the rest are in my book. All components are recycled.
#NotAFan But I Really Want To Be.
It’s not the job of artists to sanitize themselves for the sake of public consumption or branding; but it is our responsibility to think about our legacy and how what we produce as artists affects the world as a whole.
Opinions Are Not Safe Spaces.
I am not a fan of Beyoncé or Jay-Z.
There. I said it. Out in the rest of the world.
I am saying this out in the rest of the world that has become obsessed with them as individuals, become obsessed with their children, her pregnancies, more obsessed with these two personalities than they are with living their own lives in general. In a world that has become obsessed with only spending time with and interacting with those who only ‘like’ what they like. In a world that has become obsessed with ‘safe spaces’ and a lack of intellectual discourse on why we might individually disagree on why coffee ice cream is the best and agree to disagree having heard each other out.
Sure, I like some of his beats and whoever she has chosen to do the styling and choreography for her videos have powers on the creative scale that are pretty amazing (Pharrell is wondrous), but I am not a fan. I don’t know Beyoncé Knowles-Carter or Shawn Carter. Not personally. So what I am not a fan of are their public personas; Of what they are putting out into the world that will stand as their legacy. This is something every artist has the opportunity to choose and painstakingly craft for ourselves. Our brand. Our public persona. Don’t we? Most of us don’t have a team of 20 to help us do it though.
Voldemort.
I remember a while ago, I said I wasn’t a fan of Beyoncé’s public persona at an art show during a conversation, before I became a little more leary of how obsessed others become with the lives of others. After I said, it there was a sharp intake of air from the guy I was talking to. He choked and sputtered a little bit, gave me a very suspicious once over. His response was not unlike someone overhearing some foolish character in Harry Potter saying ‘Voldemort’. Isn’t an art show of all places a space where we can discuss what we aren’t quite in alignment with and why? Isn’t this where discussions with obnoxiously, pompously smart people happen? Oh… Ok. No? I was obviously mistaken. Pardon my ignorance. Keep my real opinions to myself. Right.
We didn’t talk again after that. Not being a part of the Beyhive to him meant we were incompatible, even as just friends. Call me crazy but I think that’s weird. Since when don’t I have the room in any relationship to not like exactly what you do? Is this who we’ve become as a country. Just joking. That’s obviously rhetorical. Look what’s going on with us politically.
#Sad | #Genius
For the first time, recently, I saw all of the “Apeshit” video. (Sure I’m a little late on this but does it matter?) Heard all of the lyrics. I came to understand that fame is a disease. It is really a monster. I don’t know who said it first but Gaga made it famous: Fame is a monster. It’s dirty. It changes things. The lyrics writhe and revel in the idea of fame and public validation:
“I said no to the Super Bowl: you need me, I don't need you
Every night we in the end zone, tell the NFL we in stadiums too
Last night was a fuckin' zoo
Stagedivin' in a pool of people
Ran through Liverpool like a fuckin' Beatle
Smoke gorilla glue like it's fuckin' legal
Tell the Grammy's fuck that 0 for 8 shit
Have you ever seen a crowd goin' apeshit? “
Have I ever? Umm…well, first I don’t every really refer to anyone really in terms that compare them to animals. It insults animals and people at some point and then you know the history of brown people being referred to as apes and such? Right? Have I ever seen a crowd going ‘crazy’? Sure. For me? No. That group of people is relatively small. Most of us have no experience with playing stadiums. Of course you don’t need the NFL, but you do know what they use those stadiums for right?
If this is all for the sake of being ‘ironic’ or if this is a caricature or parody of a self-centered, self-contained universe and I didn’t get it, well, what can I say? But if it isn’t…
My only question would be if this was all anyone ever heard about you, heard from you, experienced of you…Would you be satisfied? Is this what you’d want others to know and remember?
I loved the video (I am honestly a fan of most of Beyoncé’s videos). Love. What’s genius: juxtaposing yourself (as artist) with some of the most famous and recognizable pieces of art (even for those who don’t study art). Genius: being posed as royalty in a world where the worth of brown skin seems to have taken a sharp nose dive (prison industrial complex anyone?). Genius: cinematography, choreography, styling. Genius: having dance leotards correspond to the color of each dancers’ skin. Therefore giving it value and importance. Genius: using an institution ( the Louvre) that houses some of the most famous works of art in the world, where most of said works of art have those of us whose skin is on the darker side of brown, usually just depicted as slaves or servants and rarely in positions of power. Baby? Haven’t we arrived? Insert The Jeffersons (or something more recent and relevant) theme song here.
It takes bravery, even when you’re already loved and accepted as a certain type of artist to do something conceptual and different. To play the long game and go a little deeper. Like any other artist, it’s taking a chance that some will get what you are attempting to convey and others won’t.
What’s sad for me though: the lyrics; for both of them. Their work together and separately. That’s it. Nothing else I really don’t like. But isn’t that all? Aren’t lyrics everything? Or at least a huge part of the music experience? A great beat has its place, but I digress…I believe in everyone’s right to express themselves and not give a sanitized version just for the sake of public consumption. We are multifaceted beings. But. You have to take a bath a some point don’t you? Clean your house at some point, right? Face the sun at some point. Or don’t I guess…But I say show your smart self. Use the vocabulary that some don’t believe brown people possess. Evolve. Do more. Be more. Be something other than a stereotype. Being something other than a stereotype does not mean becoming something that is simply easily digestible and that doesn’t shake people.
Here is a word puzzle/analogy/SAT word association: Painting is to hanging on someone’s wall behind their coordinated sofa as Popular Music is to elevator music.
What artist strives to simply hang on the wall in someone’s kitchen (I guess it might depend on who’s kitchen to some) or be Muzak? Not many. It depends on what your goals are. Most artists want to be relevant. Not just part of a conversation but the entire conversation or those who change the conversation. When I think about music I think of playing it in my car and the people next to me hearing it, am I proud of what I am playing at eardrum bursting decibels? I think of young impressionable children being influenced by it. Are they encouraged to change the world, be creative, love…or “go apeshit"? It is the same way I feel about the art I create. I want to meet people where they are and take them on a journey. When people ask me to explain my work and speak about it intelligently I need to be able to do so without putting up walls that others can’t see around or get over don’t I?
A pet peeve of mine with other artists though is feeling that you have to put negativity into the world in order to add gravity to its meaning. In order for people to understand that darkness exists you don’t have to use the vocabulary of darkness or inject it into everything. For people to pay attention. Not only the dark side is meaningful. The balance is the meaning. Negative is already there. It always is. Without me or anyone else creating more of it.
The words! It’s about the words! You can’t change history. Even something as powerful as art can’t change it. You can paint it differently. That’s all. It is just a fact. Just like you can’t erase slavery or turn it into something positive, you can’t take n**** and turn it into a ‘positive’ word. It’s not my word. It’s not your word. It is hate manifest as a word. For me it affects the way I absorb anything.
Be More Than The Brand.
What I am a fan of as far as Beyoncé being and entity unto herself, Jay-Z, and The Carters as a partnership is the business sense. The branding. The polish. The vision. Magnificent.
My challenge to them and any artist honestly is to forget about the hubris, fame and all of its trappings. Do your work. Do good work. Be more than the brand. Be deeper. Be more than the polish. Understand the legacy. Be more than the words. Convey meaning. Be more than just Hip-Hop royalty, the manifestation of a bygone era that benefits from hierarchy, caste, women bumping and grinding/staying in their place, and stepping on the neck of someone else to validate a sense of self-importance. Be regal and be artists with a conscience and a true understanding of how what they make affects the world around them.